Welcome aboard Canadian staysail schooner Copper Sky.

S/V Copper Sky offers weekly sheduled wilderness wildlife sailing adventures for individuals and small groups in the Queen Charlotte Islands and Inside Passage.
Private group charters are also available for family vacations, educational research, and to special interest groups.

Since launching in 1987, Copper Sky has made ocean passages the equivalent of 3 circumnavigations of the world. The newest, largest, and only steel passenger ship of her class in Pacific Canada's sailing fleet, she is an immensely strong & seaworthy vessel, performing reliably without a days mechanical delay during 15 years of sailing adventures.

The Captain and Crew.
Copper Sky and her crew meet or exceed Coast Guard crewing and safety regulations, and as a certified small passenger ship, the vessel is inspected yearly by Transport Canada - Ships Safety Branch. The captain has skippered various tugs, ships, and sailing vessels for many years. Russ has also sailed as engineer or mate on vessels up to 165 feet, and crewed on ships to 35,000 tons, mostly in the South Seas, Far East, North Pacific, and the North Atlantic.

In 1985, Russ and an old shipmate put their experience & resources together, which led to a partnership in a boat yard & dive shop in Seattle. This in turn led to the purchase of the original Copper Sky, and her transformation from a 72 ft. gaff rigged schooner into an 88 ft. staysail schooner, and the beginning of more adventures.

In addition to an excellent cook, the crew is usually rounded out by a specialist or guide on each of our scheduled trips - a naturalist, professional wildllife photographer, or bear guide. For special purpose charters, we draw from a talented pool of professionals. Their expertise includes forest ecology, marine biology, anthroplogy, geology, ornithology, sailing & marine sciences instruction, film production & scuba diving.

Enjoy a hands on experience aboard Copper Sky. You are welcome to join our crew in sailing the ship and you can learn coastal navigation. Our library includes books on sailing and navigating, as well as many aspects of the natural history of coastal British Columbia.